Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister

Digital Success Programme

Statement by the Government Communication Centre

January 16, 2018 10:05 AM

Today, Hungary’s government is being criticised by politicians who did not support the amendment of the Constitution, but have always supported Brussels’ immigration policy and the mandatory quota. Criticism is being voiced by opposition politicians who are quite obviously in Soros’s pocket, and who want to demolish the border security fence and implement the mandatory resettlement quota with no upper threshold being advocated by the European Parliament.

Hungary does not accept the quota, but has always acted in accordance with the law and with international treaties. We are bound by the Geneva Convention to afford protection to people who are eligible for international protection. According to the Geneva Convention, people whose lives are in danger have the right to international protection. One of the reasons Hungary is against a mandatory resettlement quota aimed at distributing illegal immigrants is that our borders have been crossed by illegal immigrants arriving from safe countries who are not in need of protection.

The number of people who have been afforded international protection is publically available information and can be found on the website of the Immigration and Asylum Office. 508 people were afforded international protection by the Hungarian authorities in 2015, 432 in 2016, 1291 in 2017, and 37 so far in 2018. 90% of those afforded international protection did not establish a place of residence in Hungary, but used the opportunity for free movement afforded by the Schengen Area to leave the territory of Hungary with their newly issued documents.

There are currently 490 people living in open or closed institutions maintained by the immigration authorities for housing asylum seekers or people who have been afforded international protection.